The aviation technology company SITA released its latest IT Passenger Insights report, referred to the first quarter (Q1) of 2022, on June 30th. The report aims to investigate how technology can make the passenger experience as seamless and efficient as possible. Thanks to the responses of travelers from 27 countries representing 85% of the total passenger traffic, the report highlights how technology is not just benefiting passengers by enabling a smoother journey but is also positively impacting travelers' sentiment toward flying.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, with traffic bouncing back faster than anyone had expected, passengers are positively reacting to airports and airlines progressively implementing mobile and touchless technological innovations such as biometrics, mobile, and self-service solutions. Let's have a look at which stages of the passenger journey are mainly affected by technology.

The passenger journey

Looking at the whole passenger journey, from booking a flight to arrival at destination, it is evident how technology is being mostly adopted in the second half of the journey. For instance, bag tagging and bag drop kiosks have seen a decrease in use of 2% and 6% compared to Q1 2020, respectively. Furthermore, passengers using self-check-in solutions have decreased by 4%.

The latter trend might be considered a consequence of the pandemic; passengers are still often required to show COVID-19 documentation at this stage of the journey. Therefore, most travelers (over half of the respondents) tend to seek direct and personal contact with the members of the staff, rather than solely relying on technology. Therefore, just over one-third of the respondents used airlines' apps to submit health documentation.

Airport Check-in Crowds Getty-1291866159
As a consequence of the pandemic, there has been a drop in the use of technology in the early stages of the passenger journey. Photo: Getty Images

Bookings lead the way in terms of technology adoption, with increasingly more passengers relying on airlines' apps to purchase their tickets (+12% compared to Q1 2019). Another area of improvement is related to the handling of passengers' bags; compared to Q1 2020, 5% more travelers received information regarding their checked luggage via mobile devices. Particularly, 50% of the passengers received information related to the time until delivery, an 8% increase compared to 2020. The latter data is significant in that it shows an increasing trend toward real-time information made available to passengers.

The touchless frenzy

According to the findings of the report, passengers are particularly enthusiastic about the adoption of touchless and self-service solutions. The main rationale behind this trend is the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting need for social distancing and safety. Consequently, if given the choice, passengers are now more likely to opt for biometric solutions throughout their journey. Especially, the report shows how the level of comfort (out of 10 points) in using this technology has increased compared to Q1 2020, mainly at three stages of the journey:

  1. Identity control (7.48/10)
  2. Security (7.50/19)
  3. Boarding (7.49/10)

Overall, passengers' level of comfort when using biometric technologies at airports scored an average of 7.3/10, signaling the travelers' desire for a progressively touchless and seamless experience at the airport moving forward from the pandemic.

Moreover, the pandemic-induced need for safety and efficiency of operations has led to an increase in the adoption of two specific technologies, i.e. mobile, which has increased from 4% to 5% compared to Q1 2020 for booking, on board, and bag collection, and automated gates, whose use has increased from 3% to 4% for identity control, boarding and border control.

Travelers are progressively opting for biometric solutions at different stages of the passenger journey, including identity control, boarding, and border control. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images for NEC Corporation)

Passengers' emotions toward technology

According to the SITA report, the more technology is adopted throughout the passenger journey, the happier the travelers. Indeed, compared to 2016, in 2022 passengers show more positive emotions throughout their journey, especially toward those steps that have seen increased adoption of technology. Among these, one finds:

  1. Identity control (+11%)
  2. Security (+6%)
  3. Bag collection (+9%)

Interestingly, among the three stages, the ones passengers are more satisfied with are also those that have witnessed the greatest adoption of technological solutions compared to the past. For instance, in 2016 no technology was used in the area of bag collection; in 2022, 41% of passengers are using kiosks and e-gates for identity control and 29% are receiving mobile notifications for bag collection.

People are willing to fly more

After two years of travel restrictions and quarantines, both business and leisure travelers are willing to get back to flying. Data from the SITA report suggest business travelers are expected to take an average of 2.93 flights per year in 2023, compared to 2.73 in 2019, while leisure passengers would fly an average of 3.90 times per year, compared to 3.69 in 2019.

Looking at this data, airlines and airports should act cooperatively to make the most of the latest technological innovations to accommodate larger traffic volumes than those of 2019.

Lufthansa A320 Take-off
Passenger volumes in 2023 are now expected to exceed those of 2019. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

Technology to foster a greener approach to aviation

A relevant takeaway of the SITA report is also the important role that passengers attribute to technology when it comes to making the aviation industry more eco-friendly.

Half of the respondents value the adoption of IT initiatives to foster sustainability within the industry. Particularly, travelers think technology should be adopted to monitor and inform the public on airlines and airports' impact on the environment, for instance in terms of CO2 emissions. On their side, 9 out of 10 travelers are ready to pay an extra (up to 11% of the ticket price) to offset the carbon emissions of their flights.

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Key takeaways of the report

The SITA report highlights two major trends the aviation industry is currently witnessing. First, passengers are willing to get back to flying, to the point that 2019 traffic volumes are most likely going to be exceeded in 2023. Second, travelers are developing an overall positive sentiment toward the adoption of technology, especially touchless and mobile solutions, throughout the passenger journey. The second trend is mostly a natural consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has changed the passengers' need for enhanced levels of safety when traveling.

However, the pandemic prevented the further adoption of technology in the first half of the passenger journey, especially at the check-in stage, when passengers are still often expected to present COVID-19 documentation and direct contact with a member of the staff is therefore preferred. Nonetheless, it is clear that the more technology is adopted, the better. Indeed, levels of comfort throughout the passenger journey have increased at those stages where technology adoption has risen the most thanks to mobile and automated gates. Overall, touchless solutions, such as biometrics, are especially successful in making passengers feel comfortable during their journey.

How do you think technology is going to change the passenger journey as we have always known it? Let us know in the comment section.